One day I woke up and I was looking and feeling better than usual (body-wise I mean): tight skin, visible four-pack, noticeably smooth skin.

These little sparks of progress and motivation keep me training, eating well and looking after myself, but they never last for long – and that is totally normal. If I’ve learnt anything over the past five years of serious training, it’s that progress is SLOW, but it’s still progress.

If you feel like you’ve reached one of your many (and these never end) progress plateaus, I’ve made a short list of a few extra things to be mindful of to break past this barrier.

Review your routine

Switch. It. Up.

Honestly, even the slightest change can have a huge impact on your body’s performance. Do your usual workout backwards, go up a weight (or down), do more or less sets and reps, start with cardio instead of ending with cardio. Literally anything!

Say no to sugar

And don’t substitute either. So many foods have small amounts of sugar in them, so just exercise a little more willpower and grab an apple or carrot instead of a cappuccino or protein bar.

Stay consistent

And this means for everything: wake up at the same time every single day (even weekends), eat all your meals at the same time every day. Study, nap and exercise at the same time every day. But most importantly, eat right every single day.

Eating nutritiously doesn’t mean deprivation or starvation, it just means fuelling your body with the right foods. If you’re hungry eat, but eat good, natural, unprocessed foods, and eat it slowly, and in small portions.

Take a mental health day

For real though, just take a nap and switch off your phone. I often take full weekends off social media and end up putting all my devices on airplane mode and I cannot tell you how stress-relieving it is. I do get bored, but it’s totally worth it if you want to recharge your body and mind.

Make a decision

It’s so difficult yet so simple at the same time, but this is all just mind over matter.

Make a decision, in your mind, for yourself and tell no one.

You’ll know what I mean when you find the decision that fits your lifestyle, and once you do it, you’ll probably end up living a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life, looking and feeling great all the time.

Gabrielle Levey, MSc Social and Cultural Psychology Candidate, The London school of Economics and Political Science

I am a recent graduate from the University of St Andrews with a keen interest in film, photography, sport, health and fitness, social psychology and well-being. I am highly resilient and motivated to work at the highest standard on small-scale innovative projects that better people’s lives either individually, or within a small team. I am passionate about appreciating the small things in life and thrive in an environment of mutual respect and continuous personal growth and development.

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